Primary cerebral histiocytic sarcoma in childhood: a case report of protracted survival and review of the literature

Introduction: Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) of the central nervous system (CNS) is exceptionally rare in pediatric patients, historically associated with an exceptionally poor prognosis. Here, the authors present a novel case of protracted progression-free survival following surgical excision, radiotherapy and temozolomide.

Case report: A 15-year-old Caucasian girl presented with a two-month history of headache, diplopia, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss and neurocognitive deterioration without gross neurological deficit on physical examination. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain identified a 5.8 × 4.7 × 4.0 cm lesion in the right frontal lobe with associated mass effect and no dissemination. Following two surgical procedures, gross total resection was achieved. Histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed HS, with strong CD163 staining. After focal radiotherapy with concomitant temozolomide, and a further seven cycles of temozolomide, the patient made an excellent recovery and is recurrence free without neurological deficit, 23 months following presentation.

Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first incidence of a prolonged, functionally preserved and recurrence-free outcome following a diagnosis of HS within the CNS of a pediatric patient. We suggest early diagnosis prior to dissemination and complete surgical resection as an essential treatment goal in this rare disease.